From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Advising against changing the Merlin engine carburettor before the Schneider Trophy Race.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 10\4\ 04-page46 | |
| Date | 30th March 1931 | |
| Messrs. Hives. SUBJECT: “MERLIN” CARBURETTOR. We have now completed a survey of all the information available as a result of our conversation of the 20th instant with Mr. Hall. We have formed the opinion that your decision to change the carburettor type just before the Schneider Trophy Race would be a dangerous step to take. The only fault with the present S.U. carburettor is that it gives a certain amount of flat spot during acceleration, and we think that it would be a comparatively easy matter to rectify this fault. We do not think that the R.A.E. type carburettor has been sufficiently developed for us to recommend its use on the racing engines and even if we had, the development of the Merlin carburettor has yet to be carried out. In any case the time factor is now too short to allow for the development work necessary to prove the reliability of either of these two alternatives. With regard to your suggestion that the whole of this work might be handled by the R.A.E. we feel that this is quite impossible, as the resources of that establishment are already taxed to the limit. (Sgd) A.{Mr Adams} J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} Rowledge | ||